Nigeria Textile Imports Hit N578.5bn in H1 2026

Nigeria imported textiles and textile articles worth N578.51 billion in the first half of 2026, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

The figure represents a 2.2% increase from the N565.95 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Although the latest increase is much smaller than the sharp growth recorded in the previous two years, the figures highlight the continued importance of imported textiles in Nigeria’s clothing and fashion market.

The development comes as domestic manufacturers and policymakers continue efforts to rebuild Nigeria’s cotton, textile and garment value chain.

Textile imports have grown sharply in recent years

Nigeria’s textile import bill has increased substantially since 2022.

NBS data cited by The PUNCH show that textile and textile-article imports were worth N365.46 billion in 2022.

The figure increased to N377.47 billion in 2023 before jumping to N726.18 billion in 2024.

In 2025, imports reached approximately N1.06 trillion for the full year.

The year-on-year increase was particularly sharp in 2024 and 2025.

Imports increased by 92.4% in 2024 and another 46.1% in 2025, according to the NBS data analysis.

The 2.2% increase recorded in the first six months of 2026 therefore represents a significant slowdown compared with those earlier increases.

It does not, however, mean that Nigeria’s dependence on imported textiles has disappeared.

Local textile production remains weak

The import figures are occurring alongside continued weakness in the domestic textile, apparel and footwear industry.

The subsector contracted by 1.23% year-on-year in real terms in Q2 2026, according to the latest NBS GDP data.

That was the ninth consecutive quarter of real contraction, with the decline beginning in Q2 2024.

The subsector also recorded a 0.49% year-on-year decline in nominal output during Q2.

Its contribution to Nigeria’s real GDP fell from 1.87% in Q2 2025 to 1.77% in Q2 2026.

The figures provide a difficult backdrop for efforts to increase domestic textile production.

Manufacturers call for revival of cotton-to-clothing chain

Manufacturers’ representatives have continued to argue that Nigeria needs to rebuild the entire cotton-textile-garment value chain rather than focusing only on finished clothing.

Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, said the decline in textile manufacturing had severely affected production capacity and employment.

He recalled that several textile industries once operated across northern Nigeria but said many had disappeared.

Ajayi-Kadir said reviving the cotton-textile-garment value chain would require stronger domestic input supply and increased demand for locally produced goods.

The challenge therefore extends beyond importing finished fabrics.

Domestic manufacturers also need reliable access to cotton, machinery, energy, finance and other inputs required to compete with imported products.

Government pushes Nigeria First policy

The Federal Government has also been promoting policies intended to increase the use of locally manufactured products.

Ajayi-Kadir pointed to the government’s procurement policies, including the Nigeria First policy, as measures that could increase demand for Nigerian-made goods.

The Industrial Revolution Work Group is also working on issues affecting local production.

Its thematic work on Made-in-Nigeria patronage and anti-counterfeit measures includes concerns about smuggling, standards laboratories, procurement practices and declining sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals and steel.

If government procurement gives greater preference to locally manufactured products, domestic textile producers could gain access to a larger institutional market.

The effect will depend on whether local manufacturers can supply products at the required quality, volume and price.

Senate previously called for textile import ban

The pressure on the industry has also reached the National Assembly.

In June 2026, the Senate called for a total ban on textile imports as part of efforts to revive domestic manufacturing and create jobs.

Senators argued that Nigeria’s textile industry had once been a major source of employment and industrial activity.

The motion highlighted the sector’s historical decline and called for stronger measures to protect local production.

However, an import ban remains a contentious policy option.

An outright restriction could provide greater protection for domestic producers, but it could also affect businesses and consumers that rely on imported fabrics and clothing.

The policy debate therefore involves both industrial development and the availability and cost of textile products.

Import dependence is broader than textiles

The textile figures form part of a wider pattern in Nigeria’s merchandise trade.

Manufactured-goods imports reached about N17.99 trillion in H1 2026, representing a 16.9% increase from roughly N15.4 trillion in H1 2025.

That means the challenge facing the textile industry is not isolated.

Nigeria is simultaneously trying to increase domestic production while businesses and consumers continue to purchase substantial volumes of manufactured products from abroad.

For policymakers, the issue is therefore how to make local production competitive enough to replace some imports without creating shortages or excessive price increases.

Textile industry also has export potential

The focus on local production is not only about reducing imports.

A stronger textile and garment industry could also supply other African markets.

Nigeria has a large domestic consumer market and access to the broader African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Industry stakeholders have said locally produced textiles could eventually serve markets outside Nigeria if manufacturers can overcome production and competitiveness constraints.

That would shift the sector from simply competing with imported products in Nigeria to becoming an exporter of finished goods.

For that to happen, manufacturers would need consistent production, competitive pricing, reliable quality and sufficient scale.

What the latest figures show

The N578.51 billion import figure does not tell the entire story of Nigeria’s textile industry.

On one hand, the growth in imports slowed sharply to 2.2% in H1 2026 after much larger increases in 2024 and 2025.

On the other hand, the domestic textile, apparel and footwear subsector continued to contract in real terms, extending a nine-quarter decline.

That combination suggests that the industry’s difficulties have not yet been resolved.

The central policy question is no longer simply whether Nigeria can restrict imports.

It is whether the country can build a competitive cotton-to-garment production chain capable of supplying Nigerian consumers while eventually competing in regional and international markets.

For manufacturers, that means access to inputs, affordable energy, financing, technology and infrastructure.

For policymakers, it means finding a balance between protecting domestic industry and keeping textile products available and affordable.

For consumers, the outcome will ultimately be measured by the quality, price and availability of locally produced clothing and fabrics.

Nigeria’s latest trade figures show that imported textiles remain a significant part of that market, while the domestic industry continues to face a difficult recovery.